Organ coupler stacks



Filed May 28, 1954 INVENTOR.

Samue/ G. Bowman fzwalmyw United States Patent ORGAN COUPLER STACKS Samuel G. Bowman, Mount Lebanon Township, Allegheny County, Pa., assignor of one-half to Anna H. Bowman, Mount Lebanon -Township, Allegheny County, and one-half to James M. Guthrie, Crafton Borough, Pa.

Application May 28, 1954, Serial No. 433,147

7 Claims. (Cl. 200-) supply of air under superatmospheric pressure ismaintained in the chest, and, as one and another of the normally closed valves open, air flows through the respective pipes and the pipes play. Each key of the organ manual controls a primary electrical circuit, and when a key is pressed by the musician a circuit closes and actuates an electro-magne-t, which opens an air valve and establishes air flow to that organ pipe which corresponds in the musical scale to the key that has been pressed. The air valve remains open and the pipe plays as long as the key is held down. When the key is released the said electrical circuit opens, the air valve instantly closes, the flow of air is blanked, and the pipe becomes silent. v

The usual organ manual is provided with a plurality of stops. Each stop controls a group of electrical contacts adapted to be opened and closed in unison by the manipula tion'of the stop, and these contacts are included in auxiliary electrical circuits arranged electrically to dominate or modify predetermined members of the said primary circuits. The structure which provides for such grouped operation of electrical contacts in response to the manipulation of the organ stops is known as a coupler stack or an octave coupler, the function or utility of which is well understood in the art, wherefore I shall turn forthwith to a consideration of the structural improvements in which my present invention is centered.

In the accompanying drawing, a Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a coupler stack, illustrating the invention in exemplary way; Fig. 2 is a view of the stack structure in cross section, as seen on the plane IIII of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a view of the structure in end elevation, as seen from the right-hand end of Fig. l. 1

Referring to the drawings, my coupler structure comprises a row of spaced-apart electrical contact members 2,

which are separated or electrically isolated from one ,an-

other by means of barriers 3, comprising in this case strips of electrical insulation material, such as fibre board or hard rubber. The contact members 2 and barriers 3 are secured at their opposite ends in support members 4 and 5, and such support members are united at their opposite ends by header members 6 and 7. The members 4 to 7 may be formed of wood, or plastic material, or other suitable insulating material, and the members are, conveniently, united by means of screws 8.

The contact members 2 are formed of elongate strips or wires of electrical conductive material, such as copper, or silver, and advantageously the bodies of such contact members are fashioned in the form of a series of V- shaped indentations. The insulating barriers 3 are interposed closely between the apexes of the V-shaped inden- 2,774,827 Patented Dec. 18, 1956 tations of successive contact members 2 in the row, and by and between the bodies of such barriers and contact members V-shaped recesses 9 are defined, with the recesses aligned in horizontal rows longitudinally of the coupler stack structure.

On opposite sides of the row of contact members 2 and insulating barriers 3 elongate bars or rods 11 and 12 of, insulating material are provided, and in the parlance of the art these bars or rods are known as traces. The traces 1-1 and 12 are mounted for reciprocable longitudinal movement in the headers 6 and 7 of the support or frame of the coupler structure. The traces extend transversely of the contact members 2, and are positioned closely adjacent to and on opposite sides of the row of contact members. The several traces 11 and 12 are spaced apart vertically or longitudinally of the elongate contact members 2.

Each of the traces 11 and 12 is equipped with a series of spaced contact fingers 13, formed in this case of resilient silver wire, and each finger provides the contact terminal of a circuit wire 14. The contact fingers 13 extend laterally from their supporting trace severally into a horizontal row of V-shaped recesses 9 formed by and between the contact members 2 and insulating barriers 3. Each trace is longitudinally reciprocable in response to the manipulation of a stop of the organ manual, whereby the contact fingers are moved into and from positions in which the fingers are electrically united with the several contact members 2. The contact members 2 extend upwardly from the support member 4 and are severally connected to circuit wires 10. When the contact fingers 13 of a trace are moved into electrical union with the several contact members 2, an electrical circuit is closed through wires 10 and 14 for each contact finger 13 that engages a contact member 2, as illustrated by the position of the trace 12a in Fig. 1.

Whereas in Fig. 1 only eight contact members 2 are shown, each formed with six V-sh-aped recesses, it will be understood that any desired number of contact members 2 and any desired number of V-shaped recesses in each contact member may be provided, to give the desired number of circuit contacts to be grouped and controlled by the stops of the organ.

It is important to note that the V-shaped recesses in the contact members 2 insure an efiective electrical union of the fingers 13 with such contact members. When a trace 11 or 12 is moved into contact-closing position, the fingers 13 thereof are guided into contact with the members at the bases of the V-shaped recesses therein, thus insuring a positive two-point electrical union between each finger and the engaged contact member.

' The coupler stack described will find utility in electronic organs, as well as in electrically controlled pipe organs, and it will be understood that various modificatiOnS of the structure described may be made within the spirit of the invention defined in the appended claims.

I claim: I

1. An organ coupler stack comprising a support, a row of fixed elongate electrical contact members mounted in said support and each including a series of V-shaped recesses, electrical insulating barriers secured between and extending longitudinally of the successive contact members and adjacent to the apexes of the V-shaped recesses in such members, a longitudinally reciprocable elongate trace mounted adjacent to and extending transversely of the contact members of the row, and a plurality of electrical contact fingers secured to said trace and extending laterally therefrom severally into a plurality of the recesses in said contact members for electrical engagement with and disengagement from said conice tact members within and at the apexes of the V-shaped recesses therein when said trace is reciprocated':

2. An organ coupler stack comprising a support, a row of fixed contact members mountedinhsaidrsupport, each contact member being fashioned oi an'. elongate metallic conductor permanently bent into. the form of a series of V'-sh'aped recesses, electrical insulating bar? riers secured between and extending longitudinally of the successive contact members and adjacent .to the apexes. of the V-shaped recesses. therein; a. plurality of longitudinally reciprocablev traces mounted on opposite sides of said row of contact "members. andjadjacent thereto, said traces extendingftransversely.oli said contact members and'being spaced apart inthe; direction. of

extent of such contact members,- a plurality or electrical contact fin ers secured. to each rotsaidtraces and extending laterally therefrom severally into a plurality-of the recesses, in. said contact members for. electricalengagement with and disengagement fronrsaid contact members with and at the apexes'of the V-shaped recesses therein when said. traces are. reciprocated- 3- An organ coupler stack; comprising a support; a row of fixed. contact. members, mounted in said support, each contact. member being fashioned. of an-elongate metallic conductor. permanently, bent into. the form of a series 015 V-shaped recesses, with the said recesses. in

the several contact. members aligned. in rows longitudinally of the. coupler stack. structure, electrical insulating barriers secured between and. extending longitudinally of the successive contact. members and adjacenuto the apexes of. the. V-sh-aped-recesses. therein, a plurality of longitudinally reciprocable traces mounted onopposite sides of said row of contact members and. adjacent thereto, said traces. extending transversely of. said contact members and. being. spaced apart in the direction of extent of such, contact members, a, plurality of electrical contactfingers secured to each of said traces and extending laterally therefrom severally into a plurality of the recesses in said contact members for electricalnengagernent, with and. disengagement from said. contact members with and at the. apexes of the V-shaped recesses therein when said traces are reciprocated.

4. Anorgan coupler stack comprising a support, a row of fixed elongate. electrical circuit contact members mountedin saidsupport and spacedapart longitudinally of the row, electrical insulating barriers positionedbetween the successive contact members ofi'the'row, said insulating, barriersextending;lengthwise. of the elongate contact members between which the: barriers are;positioned, a longitudinally reciprocabletrace mounted: ad;- jacent to. and extendingparallel to said row-and. extendiing trausversely of the circuit contacts andinsulating barriersof the. row, and a plurality of contact fingers secured to said trace and. extending. laterally therefrom into positions severally between. the successive. contact membersand insulating barriers .of the row for. electrical engagement with and disengagement from. said contact members when saidtrace. is reciprocated.

5-. An organ coupler stack comprising a'support, a row of fixed-elongate electrical" circuit contact'members mounted in said support and spaced apart longitudinally of" therow, electrical insulating barriers positioned between the successive contact members of the row, said insulating barriers extending lengthwise of the elongate contact members between which the barriers are positioned, a plurality of longitudinally reciprocable traces mounted on opposite sides of, in parallelism with, and adjacent to said row and extending transversely of the .circuit contacts in the row, and a plurality of electrical contact-fingers secured in spaced relation; on each tracev and extending laterally therefrom intopositions severally betweent-he successive contact members and insulating barriers of the row for electrical engage ment withwand. disengagement from said contact-members When the traces arereciprocated.

6. An organ coupler stack comprising a support, a row of fixed elongate electrical circuit contact members mounted, in. said support andxeachincludinga series of V -shaped. recesses, electrical insulating barriers secured between the successive-1 contactmembers of the row, said insulatingbarriers extending lengthwisenof theelongate contact membersbetween which the barriers are-secured and vadjacentto' the apexes of- V-shaped recesses. in the contact: members, a longitudinally reciproeable tracemounted adjacent to and: extending.- parallel to' said row and extending, transversely of the circuit. contactsof the row and insulating, barriers of the row, and: a plurality of spaced contact fingers secured to. and extend.- inglaterally from the trace severally into aplurality of therecesses. in saidcontact members for electrical engagement with and. disengagement from the. contact members at the apexesiof thev-shaped recesses .thereinwhen said trace is. reciprocated.

7. An organ coupler stack comprising a. support, a row of fixed; elongate electricalcircuit contact members mounted in said support and, each including a seriesof V'-shapedrecesses, electrical insulating barriers secured betweenthe successive contact. members. of the row, said insulating; barriersextending. lengthwise of the elongatecontact-membersbetween which. the barriers are: secured. and, adjacent to the apexes of. V'-shaped recesses in. the contact-members two. longitudinally-reciprocable: traces mountedionev on eachof the opposite sides of, .in-.;parallelism with,. and adjacent to said; row, ancha-plural-ity of spaced. contact fingerst secured toand extendinglaterally from each. trace :severally into av plurality ofv the :recesses in-qsaid contact members-.for elec trical engagement; with and. disengagement from the contact members at the apexes. of: the V-shaped recesses therein when the trace is.-reciprocated.

References Citedtin the. file of: this. patent UNITED 1 STATES PATENTS 944,528. France.-. Nov. 2', 19.48 

